1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly to a vacuum cleaner having means for killing noxious small organisms, such as mites, trapped in the dust chamber of the cleaner body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The noxious small organisms, such as mites, drawn into the dust chamber of the body of a vacuum cleaner along with dust during cleaning are separated off by a filter within the dust chamber without being discharged from the cleaner but are likely to proliferate in the chamber, so that they must be killed completely. It is known that mites and like noxious small organisms are killed when exposed to hot air of about 50.degree. C. FIG. 24 shows a known vacuum cleaner which is so adapted. Further Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication SHO No. 62-127026 discloses a cleaner of similar construction. The vacuum cleaner shown in FIG. 24 is so adapted that a suction hose 51 inserted in the suction opening of its body case 50 is connected at its forward end to a discharge air cutlet 53 of the body case 50 for an electric fan 52 to circulate a hot discharge air stream from the fan 52 through a dust case 54 by way of the suction hose 51 and to thereby kill the mites and like noxious small organisms within the case 54.
Thus, the body case 50 of the conventional cleaner must be provided at its discharge side with the discharge air outlet 53 which is small and serves also as a socket for connection to the suction hose 51. Further when mites and like noxious small organisms are to be killed, the elongated suction hose 51 must be manually set in position, while the hose 51 extending outward from the body case 50 will bend or hang down, rendering the case 50 unstable. The dust case 54 can not be heated efficiently and requires a prolonged period of time for heating since the discharge air circulates through the elongated suction hose.